Capital One Credit Steps

[laboi_22]

This card used to be my primary. Started at $500. Used it a good amount. It increased after 5 months to $750. In the time while I was building, I opened cards with higer limits, better rewards, etc. I called Capital One to see when my next increase would be. They said that you have to use your card once a month for 5 months before they will increase the CL. I did quit using it because I have cards with bigger limits. Is this true? Will they actually increase with monthly use after 5 months? Do reps just make things up to make you happy so you quit asking questions and get off the line?

[SevenNEW]

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@laboi_22 wrote:

This card used to be my primary. Started at $500. Used it a good amount. It increased after 5 months to $750. In the time while I was building, I opened cards with higer limits, better rewards, etc. I called Capital One to see when my next increase would be. They said that you have to use your card once a month for 5 months before they will increase the CL. I did quit using it because I have cards with bigger limits. Is this true? Will they actually increase with monthly use after 5 months? Do reps just make things up to make you happy so you quit asking questions and get off the line?

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I wouldn't trust what a Cap 1 CSR tells you. Even if you were able to get a CLI, it would be a small one. My advice is -- if your CC has an AF, close it, otherwise SD it!

In both case use your energy for your Chase Freedom, BoA, and Amex!

[bichonmom]

I just wrote about this on my Cap One thread. Good luck trying to get a consistent answer from them. Each person gives me a different answer to the same question about CLIs on my step card.

I think the 5 months they're referring to are the first 5 you just completed. I have been told there is a second step by some reps, but am not holding my breath. You could use it for a monthly recurring charge, just so there is some monthly usage without a lot of time and energy on your part. And then see what happens in another 5 months. I do believe that I was told my second step was longer than my first step by one rep. But then again... who knows!

[mAndrew1980]

From what I've been told, typically its only one step. So "credit steps" is actually misleading when most people only get one bump -- Ever. I'm not expecting any additional bumps and these cards will be closed within a year or two anyways.

[Anonymous]

The Way Credit Steps Was Explained To Me By An State Side, English Speaking, Non Outsourced Representative Of The Bank Is.  Once The Account Receives It's Initial Increase As Indicated In The Online Document That Everyone Receives Shortly After The Account Opens, Further Increase Are Subjected To The Usual Illogical, Unexplainable, Cryptic Formula That Escapes Us All.

Although If You Have Dealt With Cap1 CSR's At All, You Would Know They Speak From The Grape Vine.

[casmith1980]

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@laboi_22 wrote:

This card used to be my primary. Started at $500. Used it a good amount. It increased after 5 months to $750. In the time while I was building, I opened cards with higer limits, better rewards, etc. I called Capital One to see when my next increase would be. They said that you have to use your card once a month for 5 months before they will increase the CL. I did quit using it because I have cards with bigger limits. Is this true? Will they actually increase with monthly use after 5 months? Do reps just make things up to make you happy so you quit asking questions and get off the line?

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LIARS!!!!!!!!!

[clocktick]

If I remember correctly, some people received 2 steps - CLIs, including me.  I think one of the stipulations really is to use your card monthly...along with on-time payments of course.

[Anonymous]

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@laboi_22 wrote:

This card used to be my primary. Started at $500. Used it a good amount. It increased after 5 months to $750. In the time while I was building, I opened cards with higer limits, better rewards, etc. I called Capital One to see when my next increase would be. They said that you have to use your card once a month for 5 months before they will increase the CL. I did quit using it because I have cards with bigger limits. Is this true? Will they actually increase with monthly use after 5 months? Do reps just make things up to make you happy so you quit asking questions and get off the line?

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Do you have the fine print for the credit steps thing? It should tell you how many CLIs you'll get. I got 2 (Credit StepS ), and it seems many (if not most, from what I've read) get 2 CLIs. One after 3 months, another after 6 months, reflected in 4th and 7th cycle.

And why would you bother about Crap1 now that you have Discover, Freedom, and Amex? Crap1 was my primary for two and a half year, but the day I got the Freedom, it went straight to SD.

[Anonymous]

Hahah.. My card started at 300 back in 2007 then it jumped to 500 like 4-5 months after now finally after SD it for a year just paying the annual fee of 39 i ran about 400 into it and then they out of the blue bumped it up another 1000 so now i have 1500 total on it my DW has the same setup she got her card a month after me and on the same timeline she got the exact same CLI

[coldnmn]

My credit step card has no annual fee started at $300 at the 7th statement went to $500. After 1 year I got a $1500 CLI to $2000 . I used the card monthly and paid my statement when it was due not reducing it to under 9% before it cut YMMV.